I am in the Orlando airport waiting for a connection to take me back to TN. This is going to be a packed week of road travel so I would appreciate your prayers along the way. I arrive home this evening, will do some laundry and repack to leave again in the morning. Tomorrow I begin a two day drive to Schroon Lake, NY where I will be based for the summer. I have rehearsals scheduled for Thursday there and then will drive to Michigan on Friday. I have a family reunion on Saturday and then a ministry event in Indiana on Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon I drive back to Schroon Lake to be ready to go Monday morning. Are you tired yet? I am just thinking about it. But I am looking forward to the week ahead. I download loads of messages off the internet and then listen to them when I am driving. So by the end of the week I will likely have listened to dozens of great messaged. I will be fired up!
A friend fowarded an interesting video the other day on the idea of what if Starbucks marketed themselves the way a church does. It is funny to watch. But it made me sad when I realized the truth of what it was saying. The link for the video is here;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7_dZTrjw9I
Have a great day!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Update from the Shack
I am on the road in Northern Michigan near the end of two weeks of ministry. Last week I ministered at a Pastors Conference for IBM - Independent Bible Mission. The conference was hosted by Ao-wa-kiya, one of my favorite places to be. This was a group of Pastors who are planting churches. I love being able to minister to the Ministers and it was a great privilege to be there. As a side note, this camp facility is a great resource for Pastors in this region and I highly encourage you to check it out if you need a place to host an event or retreat.
On Friday, after that conference ended, I drove on up to Ludington to see some friends I had not seen in 8 years. It was a blast to spend the night with them. In the morning we went on a long walk down to the Ludington Lighthouse and back. It was a privilege to get to spend time with them again.
On Sunday I had the privilege of ministering at Aetna Community Church near White Cloud. This is one of my favorite places to be. The folks there are so kind. I alway look forward to being back. And these folks can cook!
Which brings us to the Shack. This week I am at a Pastor's Retreat, which is different from a Pastor's Conference. The idea of a Pastor's Retreat is to provide a place for a Pastor and his wife to disconnect from the pressures of ministry and reconnect with their spouse and with God. So there is no agenda, just lots of hanging out and sleeping. It is hosting by Shepherds Care, Inc. and this year it is held at the Shack in Jugville, Michigan. In the category of "poor me, suffering for Jesus, AGAIN!", the Shack is an amazing bed and breakfast. I am providing worship music for a share time we have each evening. But I am also gladly taking full advantage of the time to rest. I need it as much as any Minister out there. The road schedule is so busy right now. So I am putting off office work until the end of the week and sleeping my way through the day.
I am enjoying it a ton.
Hope you are doing well. Have a great day!
On Friday, after that conference ended, I drove on up to Ludington to see some friends I had not seen in 8 years. It was a blast to spend the night with them. In the morning we went on a long walk down to the Ludington Lighthouse and back. It was a privilege to get to spend time with them again.
On Sunday I had the privilege of ministering at Aetna Community Church near White Cloud. This is one of my favorite places to be. The folks there are so kind. I alway look forward to being back. And these folks can cook!
Which brings us to the Shack. This week I am at a Pastor's Retreat, which is different from a Pastor's Conference. The idea of a Pastor's Retreat is to provide a place for a Pastor and his wife to disconnect from the pressures of ministry and reconnect with their spouse and with God. So there is no agenda, just lots of hanging out and sleeping. It is hosting by Shepherds Care, Inc. and this year it is held at the Shack in Jugville, Michigan. In the category of "poor me, suffering for Jesus, AGAIN!", the Shack is an amazing bed and breakfast. I am providing worship music for a share time we have each evening. But I am also gladly taking full advantage of the time to rest. I need it as much as any Minister out there. The road schedule is so busy right now. So I am putting off office work until the end of the week and sleeping my way through the day.
I am enjoying it a ton.
Hope you are doing well. Have a great day!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Latest updates
Wow, it has been a long time since I updated the blog. It has been crazy busy and updating the blog gets pushed down the list of things to take care of. I am excited about all that God is doing. Some times the trick is just holding on for the ride.
I am looking forward to the summer season when I will be based in upstate New York at the Word of Life conference center and family campground. I was there last week for administrative meetings and it was exciting to see all that is going on in preparation for the opening week the end of June.
I was also in Montreal that weekend for the first of many ministry weekends. My friend Viv in Montreal has set up all the meetings with local churches over the summer. It will be a blast to be there almost every weekend. I met the folks at Temple Baptist in the morning and will be back this summer for a full concert. Then in the afternoon I met with the youth group from South Shore Chinese Alliance. They are a great group. Then the pastor took us out to eat at a local Chinese restaurant. It was fantastic! I really love trying new foods and this was as authentic as it gets. There were no English menus anywhere. And the menus did not have any pictures either. Pastor ordered for all of us. There were 14 of us around a large round table. They brought all the food out and sat it on a large lazy susan in the middle of the table. Everyone started with a bowl of rice. Then you simply added to it from all the options on the lazy susan. The most interesting thing I ate was the Duck Kidneys. They were good. They were cooked in a hot sauce and sliced thinly. You picked out a piece and added it to your hot soup. The soup warmed it up. It reminded me of the texture of a chicken gizard. So anyway, I really loved the meal and am looking forward to being back for a couple more events there at South Shore Chinese Alliance this summer.
I am in Michigan at this time for a couple weeks of Pastor's retreats. I am in the midst of a very, very busy season. I will only be home about 5 days between now and September so if you think of me, say a prayer. I appreciate it.
Have a great day!
I am looking forward to the summer season when I will be based in upstate New York at the Word of Life conference center and family campground. I was there last week for administrative meetings and it was exciting to see all that is going on in preparation for the opening week the end of June.
I was also in Montreal that weekend for the first of many ministry weekends. My friend Viv in Montreal has set up all the meetings with local churches over the summer. It will be a blast to be there almost every weekend. I met the folks at Temple Baptist in the morning and will be back this summer for a full concert. Then in the afternoon I met with the youth group from South Shore Chinese Alliance. They are a great group. Then the pastor took us out to eat at a local Chinese restaurant. It was fantastic! I really love trying new foods and this was as authentic as it gets. There were no English menus anywhere. And the menus did not have any pictures either. Pastor ordered for all of us. There were 14 of us around a large round table. They brought all the food out and sat it on a large lazy susan in the middle of the table. Everyone started with a bowl of rice. Then you simply added to it from all the options on the lazy susan. The most interesting thing I ate was the Duck Kidneys. They were good. They were cooked in a hot sauce and sliced thinly. You picked out a piece and added it to your hot soup. The soup warmed it up. It reminded me of the texture of a chicken gizard. So anyway, I really loved the meal and am looking forward to being back for a couple more events there at South Shore Chinese Alliance this summer.
I am in Michigan at this time for a couple weeks of Pastor's retreats. I am in the midst of a very, very busy season. I will only be home about 5 days between now and September so if you think of me, say a prayer. I appreciate it.
Have a great day!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Just playing around
Last night some friends and I went on a sunset cruise and had a great time. Several Pastor friends are in town for a few days of rest and refocusing. So we all piled into the boat and left the dock shortly before sundown and headed to Stump Pass. After a fantastic sunset over the Gulf, we headed back to home. My friend's, Brent and Lori Black, whom I've stayed with for the past few weeks, learned a trick with the boat to bring the dolphins in. They position the boat motor to make the boat plow through the water. For some reason, when you plow the boat this way, the dolphin come to play in the wake. One of the Pastor's, Allen, snapped this photo of one of the dolphin playing in the wake. Awesome!
Have a great day!
Tim
Have a great day!
Tim
Easter in Florida
It was a privilege to be in Southwest Florida for Easter this year. Thought you might like a picture of the beach near where I am staying. The crosses were set up for a sunrise service. This picture was taken at sunset since I am on the Gulf Coast. I have one more event here tomorrow and then will need to make my way back to Tennessee to fly out next week to New Brunswick.
Have a great day!
Have a great day!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Summiting the Swiss Helm Mountains
Today my friend Jeff Schaa and I summited the Swiss Helm Mountains near Elfrida, AZ where they live. I am flying home tomorrow and Jeff asked me what I wanted to do today. I had heard about a time when he and his sons had summited the Swiss Helm mountain and it sounded intriguing to me. I found out later that after Jeff had done it he said he would never do it again! But off we were around 9:30 this morning.
Here we are at the car drop point, about 1.5 miles from the base of the mountain. The peak is in the background.
It was a brutal hike. It took a total of 6 hours and 15 minutes car to car, for a total of 5.33 miles. There is no trail so you have to make your own way to the top. The incline is a beast with slopes as high as 55%. We hacked our way through dense undergrowth at the bottom of the mountain. The top of the mountain is relatively clear but the slope is so steep and it is difficult to get your footing on the loose rock. And the whole time you are keeping a keen eye out for snakes and cacti. I slipped many times but thankfully I never fell on a cactus. The last stretch to the summit was almost straight up a rock pile. At that point I had to keep from looking back to keep from freaking out. It you have a fear of heights this climb is not for you!
The Summit is at 6974 ft. So between the thin air and slopes my heart was pounding. On the way up we had to stop often to catch our breath. By the time we reached the summit it was a bit after noon so we stopped, rested, and enjoyed lunch with a view. Here is Jeff resting and enjoying the view.
You can see in this picture how high up we were. Here is a picture of the same mountain but viewed from the house in the valley below. We hiked to the peak in the middle right of the picture.
All in all it was a fantastic day and a memory that will stay with me for a long time.
Have a great day!
Here we are at the car drop point, about 1.5 miles from the base of the mountain. The peak is in the background.
It was a brutal hike. It took a total of 6 hours and 15 minutes car to car, for a total of 5.33 miles. There is no trail so you have to make your own way to the top. The incline is a beast with slopes as high as 55%. We hacked our way through dense undergrowth at the bottom of the mountain. The top of the mountain is relatively clear but the slope is so steep and it is difficult to get your footing on the loose rock. And the whole time you are keeping a keen eye out for snakes and cacti. I slipped many times but thankfully I never fell on a cactus. The last stretch to the summit was almost straight up a rock pile. At that point I had to keep from looking back to keep from freaking out. It you have a fear of heights this climb is not for you!
The Summit is at 6974 ft. So between the thin air and slopes my heart was pounding. On the way up we had to stop often to catch our breath. By the time we reached the summit it was a bit after noon so we stopped, rested, and enjoyed lunch with a view. Here is Jeff resting and enjoying the view.
You can see in this picture how high up we were. Here is a picture of the same mountain but viewed from the house in the valley below. We hiked to the peak in the middle right of the picture.
All in all it was a fantastic day and a memory that will stay with me for a long time.
Have a great day!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Final day in Sells, AZ
I am winding down this portion of the trip. It has been great to be in Sells on the Tohono O'odham Nation. Today we had lunch at one of the fast food places. Check it out below.
That's right! There are no fast food joints on the Reservation unless you count the roadside stands. But wow the food is great! I had a steak burro. It was huge and loaded with mesquite grilled meat, refried beans, chopped cabbage, and a sauce. I love finding the best local food and this did not disappoint.
Then in the afternoon I attended Sherrie Dodson's O'odham (pronounced Otham) language class at the Community College. The class had given me permission to set in provided I would participate. I figured they would leave me alone for the most part. But oh no! I was treated the same as any other student. For the first 10 minutes the teacher spoke only in O'odham and I was expected to answer (in O'odham) when spoken to. I can't remember when I have concentrated so hard. The rest of the class has been studying since January. When I realized the teacher was not going to skip over me I was deeply concerned. (Read panicked!) I was praying for a gift of tongues. I held my own with a little help from Sherrie, and even the instructor said I did a good job. But that was crazy! Here is the class: (Sherrie Dodson is fourth from the right)
It has been a privilege to be here and I will look forward to being able to come back some day. I'm hoping it will work out to be able to do a ministry event to support the local churches at some point.
That's right! There are no fast food joints on the Reservation unless you count the roadside stands. But wow the food is great! I had a steak burro. It was huge and loaded with mesquite grilled meat, refried beans, chopped cabbage, and a sauce. I love finding the best local food and this did not disappoint.
Then in the afternoon I attended Sherrie Dodson's O'odham (pronounced Otham) language class at the Community College. The class had given me permission to set in provided I would participate. I figured they would leave me alone for the most part. But oh no! I was treated the same as any other student. For the first 10 minutes the teacher spoke only in O'odham and I was expected to answer (in O'odham) when spoken to. I can't remember when I have concentrated so hard. The rest of the class has been studying since January. When I realized the teacher was not going to skip over me I was deeply concerned. (Read panicked!) I was praying for a gift of tongues. I held my own with a little help from Sherrie, and even the instructor said I did a good job. But that was crazy! Here is the class: (Sherrie Dodson is fourth from the right)
It has been a privilege to be here and I will look forward to being able to come back some day. I'm hoping it will work out to be able to do a ministry event to support the local churches at some point.
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